Sheet feeding mechanism



Jan. 3, 1933. A. A. STONE SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 4, 1930 INVENTOR I MM 62 WM Mv Patented Jan. 3, 1933 PATENT OFFICIE- ALBERT ALEXANDER STONE, or LONDON, ENGLAND SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Application filed November 4, 1930, Serial No. 493,440, and in Great Britain November 23, 1929.

This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism for feeding sheets of paper, thin cardboard or the like from the bottom of a pile, of the type wherein a needle pad is reciprocated beneath a pile of sheets, and has for its object to provide improved mechanism for causing the needle to engage with and disengage from the sheet-s.

The present invention consists of a sheet feeding mechanism comprising a needle pad carried on a collapsible structure and arranged to reciprocate beneath a pile of sheets stacked in a magazine, means for raising the structure to cause the needles to pierce the lowermost sheet of the pile and for rigidly supporting the structure in this position during a portion of the feeding stroke and feed rollers adapted to seize the said sheet and withdraw it from the needle pad, the pull of the sheet causing the structure to collapse and lower the needles immediately the supporting means are withdrawn.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a section of a sheet feeding mechanism constructed according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the sheets 1 which in the present instance are blanks of slides for slide and shell cartons, are stacked in a magazine 2 which has a front opening controlled by a spring 3. The plate 4 over whi ch the slides are fed is of convex formation in both directions, which facilitates the feeding of the slides should the latter be bent.

The needle pad 5 is carried on a bar 6 which is connected by a pair of parallel links 7 to a bar 8. The bar 8 is provided with horizontally extending guide portions 17 on either side thereof, these guide portions engaging supporting rollers 18 carried by a fixed part of the frame. The bar 8 is further pivoted at 9 to a lever 10 which oscillates about a pivot 11. The lever 10 is operated by a link 12 driven by a crank disc 13, the rim of which is formed into a cam 14.

One of the links 7 is provided with an extension 15 which runs on the surface of the cam 14. The rotation of the crank disc 13 reciprocates the bar carrying the needle pad and as the rise of the cam 14: comes into contact with the depending piece 15, the needle pad is moved upwardly into engagementwith the bottom sheet and feeds it out of the magazine.

After the needle bar has moved a certain distance forward the depending piece 15 on the forward parallel link moves away from the cam surface, but the needles still remain in the sheet and feed it forwardly.

Immediately the rollers 16 seize the blank they pull it forward faster than the needle pad is carrying it, and owing to the fact that the parallel links are inclined forwardly, the parallel structure collapses and the sheet is pulled free from the needles. The needle pad then returns at a lower level on the back stroke, and the cycle is repeated.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 1. In apparatus for feeding sheet material from a stack, the combination with sheet feed ing means, of means for engaging the lowermost sheet of the stack anddelivering the same to the sheet feeding means, a support for said sheet engaging means adapted to be elevated to shift the latter to sheet engaging position, mechanism for reciprocating said support toward and from said sheet feeding means, said support being collapsible from sheet engaging position in response to tension applied to the sheet by said sheet feeding means, a pivoted lever associated with said support, and a cam for engaging said lever to elevate said support.

2. In apparatus for feeding sheet material from a stack, the combination with sheet feeding means, of means for engaging the lowermost sheet of the stack and delivering the same to the sheet feeding means, reciprocating means, parallel links for supporting said sheet engaging means on said reciprocating means for movement to and from an elevated sheet engaging position, and cam means operable in timed relation with said reciprocating means for shifting said sheet engaging means to elevated position, said links being so arranged that tension applied to a sheet by said sheet feeding means will cause said links to collapse for Withdrawing said sheet engaging means from the sheet 'being fed.

3. In apparatus for teeming sheet material from a stack, the combination With sheet feeding means of means for engaging the lowermost sheet of the stack and delivering the same to the sheet feeding means reciprocating means, parallel links for supporting said sheet engaging means on said reciprocating means in elevated sheet engaging position,

said links being so arranged that tension applied to a sheet by said sheet feeding means Will cause said links to collapse for Withdrawing said sheet engaging means from the sheet being fed, and a cam engaging one of said links for restoring said sheet engaging means to elevated position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

ALBERT ALEXANDER STONE. 

